Briefly

INNER MONGOLIA

Man who kidnapped three people shot dead

A kidnapper armed with a handgun was shot dead at the scene in Xincheng district of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sunday, the regional police authorities said. According to a statement issued by the police, the suspect, surnamed Zhou, took three people hostage at around 11 am on Sunday. Zhou, armed with a self-made gun, attached explosive devices to the hostages and threatened to kill them. Police fatally shot Zhou at around 7:15 pm and defused the explosives. Investigations are continuing.

QINGHAI

Bus falls into hole after road caves in; 2 missing

Two people are missing and 13 were injured after a bus sank into a big hole as a road caved in at about 5 pm on Monday in Xining, the city government said. The bus was picking up passengers at a bus stop near a hospital when the road suddenly collapsed. The bus fell halfway into the hole. Video footage showed a small blast occurred soon afterward. All the injured were rushed to hospital and are in stable condition. Rescue efforts are underway.